Fire that damaged offices of Minnesota conservative organizations being investigated as arson
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Updated: 5:11 p.m.
A fire last weekend at a Golden Valley building housing the offices of several conservative organizations is being investigated as arson.
The organizations say they believe they were targeted for their political stances.
The fire started early Sunday morning at 8421 Wayzata Boulevard, just south of Interstate 394. The building houses the offices of the Center for the American Experiment, TakeCharge and the Upper Midwest Law Center, among other groups and businesses.
John Hinderaker, the president of the Center of the American Experiment, said he's used to being attacked on social media. This was different.
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“It's just kind of shocking,” he said. “People attack you on Twitter, but that's very different from trying to burn down your office or burn down your building. But something like that happens you know, it's pretty shocking."
In a statement, TakeCharge President Kendall Qualls said there were fires on two floors of the building, near the three groups’ offices.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed Friday that it’s investigating the fires as an act of arson, working alongside the FBI and other state and local agencies. The ATF said it couldn’t release further information amid the ongoing investigation.
“It is extremely concerning that we may have been the target of an arson attack, constituting an act of domestic terrorism,” Qualls, a Republican candidate for Minnesota governor in 2022, said in his statement.
Qualls said no one was harmed in the fire. TakeCharge said its employees are working remotely due to extensive damage to the building.
The Upper Midwest Law Center issued a statement saying its offices were destroyed by the fire, and its staff is also now working remotely. Photos shared by the center show charred books and documents, blackened walls and melted plastic ceiling lights.
“We will not be intimidated by this apparent act of domestic terrorism. Our resolve to uphold justice and protect the rights of Minnesotans remains unyielding. Despite the setback, the Upper Midwest Law Center will continue to champion the values of fairness, equality, and freedom for all,” Senior Counsel James Dickey said in the statement.
The Republican Party of Minnesota released a statement in support of the organizations affected by the fire.
“The apparent targeting of these conservative organizations marks a chilling moment for free speech and civil discourse in our state,” chairman David Hann said.
DFL Gov. Tim Walz in a social media post said “political violence and intimidation have no place in Minnesota. I’m confident that local, state, and federal law enforcement will get to the bottom of this unacceptable act.”
